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6S*
K
pAidiE duLftlHL GftOn/rDS
There are few persons in Racine,
or any other American .community,
who have reached the age of discretion, but are interested in the cemeteries; or in that particular cemetery
where lie the mortal remains of one
or more loved ones gone. The affection bestowed on them in life, finds
expression, now that they are dead,
in keeping green and bright the bit
ofi earth where their forms were sorrowfully laid away and the living insist that all the surroundings of the
burial place of their dead be kept in
' in | 1ii 1 ill harmony with the sentiment that actuates them. In this
sketch it is proposed to present, not
exhaustively, but in outline only, a
view of the provision that Racine has
made fer' "twVcare of its dead, from
the Jo'eginning^of its history, and of
soHrfe places with which it had noth-
hifg to do.
/ Indian Mounds.
If we begin at the beginning, mention must first be made of the Indian
mounds, the presence of which within
its limits furnished the name for, our
oldest, largest and most beautiful cemetery.' These mounds are pre-his-
toric burial grounds, and any authentic information concerning them is of
such great interest to Racine people,
that we think it worth while to quote
a paragraph or two from an article
on these very mounds by William
Barry, in volume 3, page 188. Wiser- i sin historical collections, printed
in 1857.
Mr.. Barry says: "At Racine there
are a number of very interesting remains, chiefly on the high grounds
near Root river, from one to two
miles from the lake. Here are mi
merous circular burial mounds, though
of small size and elevation, embraced
In one circular enclosure, with sev
eral tapering ridges. The mounds are
I without systematic arrangement, from
five to 50 feet in diameter, and from
one to seven feet in height. Dr. Hoy,
of Racine—(P. it. Hoy—E., W. L.) —
opened one in which were found the
skeletons of seven persons, in a sitting posture, facing the east, but unaccompanied- with ornaments. In
another he discovered two vases of
pottery, one made of cream-colored
white sand, like pale brick, of the
capacity of five quarts; the other,
which was of a red brick color, was
smaller. Both are thought to resemble those in culinary use among
the Burmese.
"The great antiquity of these re-
maias is made clear by the gigantic
size of the trees now standing upon
them—one with three hundred rings,
showing, as Dr. Hoy estimates an
antiquity of a thousand years. But
the most numerous group of these
mounds lies about a mile west of Racine, and a part bf them has been embraced in the modern cemetery of
that beautiful city.
When Mound cemetery was laid out
in the first place, great~ pains were
taken to preserve the Indian mounds
—largely at the iristigation of Dr. P.
It. Hoy. They were preserved,, and
later were provided with markers by
the city council.
. Cemetery on Poles.
There was a cemetery within the
limits of the original plat of Racine,
before the. city was founded. In an
interview with Alex Hood a few years
ago.J I was informed by him that
Stephen H. Sage, who came to Root
river in February, 1836. told him
when he arrived there was evidence
of an Indian burial ground, on pules
—then in disuse, of course, just north-1-
of Third street, between Mam and
'Chatham (now Rake avenue) st reetSil
Mr. Hood said that it wa| i)»tv therel
, ;wtlfn he came, a boy of W, in 1838,T
f■!Vnd that he knew nothirlg about it
a no. liki> j-._ rrne
'except, what Mr. Sage tsld him. »
! story is credible, for neither Mr. Hood
| nor Mr. Sage was given u\ fairy tales.
3
"In March, 1837. Peter Wright, who had been living with
Norman Clark, died of consumption. Consultation was had among
the settlers as to the place that should be selected, not
only for this, but for other burials. *Hr. Clark and a deputation of settlers went in search of a suitable locality,
and. wandering far away in the woods, at last selected a
spot where the Racine Winslow school now stands, as the village cemetery. The people were of the opinion that the location had been made in too wild and distant a region, but
acquiesced in the selection, because it was a spot that
would never be dlsturoed*M
i-mT.i'>- See "Address of Chas. E. Dyer", I8JT, page. y\% .
10
No doubt somey settlers died and
were buried in Racine before any provision had been made for a public
burial ground, though probably they
were very few, for pioneers are rugged folk, and the hazards of life 01
i wWt :
! the iflft shore of Lake Michigan from
18 3 4 to 1842 were not such as would
add in any degree to the normal death
i rate of such people.

This folder contains the chapter of Leach's book that looks at challenges associated with finding cemetery locations, how the first temporary settlement of Racine's land turned into Mound Cemetery, and the foliage and decorative aspects of cemeteries. There are also special sections focused on the Hebrew Cemetery and Evergreen Cemetery.

Copyright to these documents belongs to the individuals who created them or the organizations for which they worked. The principal organizations have been defunct for many years and copyright to their unpublished records is uncertain. We share them here strictly for non-profit educational purposes. We have attempted to contact individuals who created personal papers of significant length or importance. Nearly all have generously permitted us to include their work. If you believe that you possess copyright to material included here, please contact us at asklibrary@wisconsinhistory.org. Under the fair use provisions of the U.S. copyright law, teachers and students are free to reproduce any document for nonprofit classroom use. Commercial use of copyright-protected material is generally prohibited.

/
6S*
K
pAidiE duLftlHL GftOn/rDS
There are few persons in Racine,
or any other American .community,
who have reached the age of discretion, but are interested in the cemeteries; or in that particular cemetery
where lie the mortal remains of one
or more loved ones gone. The affection bestowed on them in life, finds
expression, now that they are dead,
in keeping green and bright the bit
ofi earth where their forms were sorrowfully laid away and the living insist that all the surroundings of the
burial place of their dead be kept in
' in | 1ii 1 ill harmony with the sentiment that actuates them. In this
sketch it is proposed to present, not
exhaustively, but in outline only, a
view of the provision that Racine has
made fer' "twVcare of its dead, from
the Jo'eginning^of its history, and of
soHrfe places with which it had noth-
hifg to do.
/ Indian Mounds.
If we begin at the beginning, mention must first be made of the Indian
mounds, the presence of which within
its limits furnished the name for, our
oldest, largest and most beautiful cemetery.' These mounds are pre-his-
toric burial grounds, and any authentic information concerning them is of
such great interest to Racine people,
that we think it worth while to quote
a paragraph or two from an article
on these very mounds by William
Barry, in volume 3, page 188. Wiser- i sin historical collections, printed
in 1857.
Mr.. Barry says: "At Racine there
are a number of very interesting remains, chiefly on the high grounds
near Root river, from one to two
miles from the lake. Here are mi
merous circular burial mounds, though
of small size and elevation, embraced
In one circular enclosure, with sev
eral tapering ridges. The mounds are
I without systematic arrangement, from
five to 50 feet in diameter, and from
one to seven feet in height. Dr. Hoy,
of Racine—(P. it. Hoy—E., W. L.) —
opened one in which were found the
skeletons of seven persons, in a sitting posture, facing the east, but unaccompanied- with ornaments. In
another he discovered two vases of
pottery, one made of cream-colored
white sand, like pale brick, of the
capacity of five quarts; the other,
which was of a red brick color, was
smaller. Both are thought to resemble those in culinary use among
the Burmese.
"The great antiquity of these re-
maias is made clear by the gigantic
size of the trees now standing upon
them—one with three hundred rings,
showing, as Dr. Hoy estimates an
antiquity of a thousand years. But
the most numerous group of these
mounds lies about a mile west of Racine, and a part bf them has been embraced in the modern cemetery of
that beautiful city.
When Mound cemetery was laid out
in the first place, great~ pains were
taken to preserve the Indian mounds
—largely at the iristigation of Dr. P.
It. Hoy. They were preserved,, and
later were provided with markers by
the city council.
. Cemetery on Poles.
There was a cemetery within the
limits of the original plat of Racine,
before the. city was founded. In an
interview with Alex Hood a few years
ago.J I was informed by him that
Stephen H. Sage, who came to Root
river in February, 1836. told him
when he arrived there was evidence
of an Indian burial ground, on pules
—then in disuse, of course, just north-1-
of Third street, between Mam and
'Chatham (now Rake avenue) st reetSil
Mr. Hood said that it wa| i)»tv therel
, ;wtlfn he came, a boy of W, in 1838,T
f■!Vnd that he knew nothirlg about it
a no. liki> j-._ rrne
'except, what Mr. Sage tsld him. »
! story is credible, for neither Mr. Hood
| nor Mr. Sage was given u\ fairy tales.
3
"In March, 1837. Peter Wright, who had been living with
Norman Clark, died of consumption. Consultation was had among
the settlers as to the place that should be selected, not
only for this, but for other burials. *Hr. Clark and a deputation of settlers went in search of a suitable locality,
and. wandering far away in the woods, at last selected a
spot where the Racine Winslow school now stands, as the village cemetery. The people were of the opinion that the location had been made in too wild and distant a region, but
acquiesced in the selection, because it was a spot that
would never be dlsturoed*M
i-mT.i'>- See "Address of Chas. E. Dyer", I8JT, page. y\% .
10
No doubt somey settlers died and
were buried in Racine before any provision had been made for a public
burial ground, though probably they
were very few, for pioneers are rugged folk, and the hazards of life 01
i wWt :
! the iflft shore of Lake Michigan from
18 3 4 to 1842 were not such as would
add in any degree to the normal death
i rate of such people.

Copyright to these documents belongs to the individuals who created them or the organizations for which they worked. The principal organizations have been defunct for many years and copyright to their unpublished records is uncertain. We share them here strictly for non-profit educational purposes. We have attempted to contact individuals who created personal papers of significant length or importance. Nearly all have generously permitted us to include their work. If you believe that you possess copyright to material included here, please contact us at asklibrary@wisconsinhistory.org. Under the fair use provisions of the U.S. copyright law, teachers and students are free to reproduce any document for nonprofit classroom use. Commercial use of copyright-protected material is generally prohibited.